


Turning

by Keolah



Category: Furry - Fandom
Genre: Aliens, Childbirth, Cousin Incest, Drama, Explicit Sexual Content, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Hermaphrodites, Humanoid Animals, Original Universe, Other, Pregnancy, Romance, Science Fiction, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-11-28
Updated: 2003-11-28
Packaged: 2017-11-14 03:05:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/510643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keolah/pseuds/Keolah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On a world populated by hermaphrodite furry aliens, two cousins come together in an illicit relationship. Is there anywhere in the galaxy that might offer them hope for a future?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Turning

"Gather round, young ones, and I will tell you a story," the old one said, taking a seat on a rock near the campfire. Even though sie was advanced in hir years, sie was still strong and able, though hir gray fur was taking on a bit of a ragged appearance. Sie was called Telling, the oldest one in the clan, and greatly respected by young and old alike. 

Waking sat down near the fire among the younger children. Sie was the oldest of hir generation, having seen twelve turns of the Light of Ages, but sie still enjoyed Elder's stories, even if sie had already heard most of them before. 

"Long ago," Telling began, "in the Age of the Great Winds, there lived a person called Calming." Waking had already heard this story, but sie listened anyway. The children grew quiet and listened intently, hanging on every word Telling spoke. 

"Now, Calming was a great shaman, to whom the animals listened, and the trees respected," Telling went on. "But one day, there was a dispute between Calming's clan, the Strong Bears, and a neighboring clan, the Shadow Wolves." 

One child in the back seemed rather more disinterested in the story than the rest. Waking glanced over and identified hir as hir cousin, Gazing. Sie was a young cub, who Waking was sure couldn't have heard this story before, but nonetheless sie seemed almost bored. 

"Calming tried to settle the dispute before it descended into bloodshed, but the Wolves would not listen to hir words, and sent their warriors against the Bears. But the Strong Bears were outnumbered, and could not hold the valley. They were forced up into the mountains over the Green Valley." 

Gazing yawned broadly. Elder glanced at hir a moment, but made no word, continuing with hir story. 

"But Calming went alone to the warriors of the Shadow Wolves, and when sie approached, they drew weapons on hir and were about to attack. But sie raised a hand calmly, an empty hand, and the Wolves set aside their weapons. 'There is no need for this,' Calming said to them." 

Gazing stood up, and interrupted hir. "This is a stupid story, old goat," sie said sharply. The children stared at hir wide-eyed, and a few of them gasped. 

"If you don't like it, you don't have to listen," Telling said to hir quietly. 

"Then I won't. And I won't listen to any stories anymore." Sie turned and walked away from the campfire. 

Waking stared after hir. Once Gazing was gone, the children whispered about hir amongst each other, giving hir a new name: Turning. Sie glanced at Telling questioningly, who nodded to hir. Waking took that as hir cue to go after the dissident youngster and talk to hir. 

Sie stood and followed after the child, who was a full three turns younger than hirself. Gazing's fur was a dark ginger color, and hir paws and the tip of hir tail were black. Waking had always liked those colors better than hir own dull, boring dusty tan fur. Gazing wasn't hard to find, as sie hadn't gone far. Sie was out standing on a large rock, gazing up at the two moons, the activity which sie had been named for. 

"Why were you so rude to Telling?" Waking asked, coming up behind hir. 

"Why do we need to listen to those old stories?" the other asked. 

"They tell us about our history, our ancestors and the lessons they've granted to us," Waking said. 

"What can a bunch of old dead people teach me?" the ginger child said fiercely. 

Waking was stunned by hir words, and said quietly, "Gazing, this isn't like you. Perhaps the other children are right, and you have gone from that name. Perhaps they are right in naming you Turning." 

"It is a fitting enough name, that I turn away from the past to embrace the future." 

"Then if that is your wish, then Turning you shall be," Waking said sadly. "But you need not outcast yourself like this. We are Silent Panthers. This is who we are." 

"What if I don't want to be one anymore?" Turning said, turning to hir. 

"You've heard the stories, you know what happens to people who leave their clan," Waking warned hir. 

"Does it really matter?" Turning asked, then sighed. "Do you want me to stay?" 

"Yes, my friend," Waking said, more gently this time. Sie lay hir handd gently on Turning's arm. "You don't have to listen to hir if you don't want to. But I'd much like you to stay." 

Waking gave a faint smile. Sie was happy hir friend was staying. Sie hated to think what would happen to someone who left the clan like that. 

"Come, Turning. Let's go inside. It's almost dawn. We should get some sleep." 

Turning nodded, and they went back toward the tents to sleep. 

* * *

Turning never went again to listen to Telling tell hir stories, and Waking slowly stopped going as well to spend more time with hir friend. Sie had heard them all already, and many had already outgrown the stories anyway by the time they were Turning's age. But few had ever caused such an outburst or an outcry when they stopped listening. 

Sie hadn't been exactly exiled for hir words, as Waking had briefly feared sie might, but sie was certainly shunned among the clanfolk. People would not talk to Turning but what brief, compulsory replies they had to give. But Waking did not shun hir. 

"You shouldn't spend so much time with Turning," Waking's mother, Dreaming, said to hir. Dreaming had been the one who had carried the child in hir womb. 

"Most of us outgrew the stories at that age, Mother," Waking said. "But we weren't all so vocal about it." 

"Oh, it's not even just that," Dreaming said. "People are starting to think you're getting all too close." 

"What do you mean? Sie's my friend." 

"Hir mother is my sister," Dreaming told hir. "And even if you weren't such close blood relatives, sie's still too young for sexual relations anyway." 

"Sexual--" Waking stammered. "Mother, it's not like that!" 

"Keep in mind what happens in the stories about children of close blood relatives, and of parents who are too young." 

"Mother, we're not--" 

"Keep it in mind," Dreaming said firmly. "Now, off with you. I have work to do." 

Waking sighed and went off, silencing hir protests. This was nonsense, sie thought. Sie had no such feelings toward Turning. Sie just wanted to be the friend Turning desparately needed right now, when everyone else was pushing hir away. That was all. Wasn't it? 

Sie found Turning out alone by the clearing with the large rock that sie was so fond of visiting. Only one of Fortalus's two moons was visible at the moment, a golden crescent in the starry night air. When sie saw hir approach, Turning turned to hir and gave a small smile. 

"It's a beautiful night, isn't it?" Turning said. "Just us, the moon, and the stars." 

Waking went up to hir and clasped hir hand in hir own. "My mother think we're getting too close." 

"Oh, what do they know, anyway," Turning scoffed. "I'm plenty old enough." 

"But the stories--" 

"I don't care what the stories say, Waking." Turning cupped hir cheek gently with one hand. Waking was the taller of the two by three fingers, but standing on top of hir rock, Turning was a full head higher. "I only know what I feel," Turning said quietly. "My heart tells me to do something, I will act upon it, be it the wisest decision by the judgment of our elders or not." 

"You tread dangerous paths, Turning." Sie shivered a bit, a little uncomfortable at Turning's touch, but sie did not pull away. 

"I do, my friend, my cousin," Turning whispered. Sie brought hir cheek down next to Waking's, and said softly in hir ear, "Will you tread them with me?" 

Waking's mind raced. If that wasn't a proposal that they become lovers, sie didn't know what was. But sie could not turn away from Turning's alluring beauty, and hir senses were aroused by the smell of hir fur. Waking slid hir hand up Turning's arm and whispered back, "I will, my friend, my lover. Whatever path you tread, I will walk beside you." 

Turning put hir arms around hir and slid down off the rock, tumbling into a heap of tangled limbs onto the cool grass below, taking Waking with hir. Waking gave a soft grunt as they hit the ground. Turning murmured softly, "Then let us walk this path tonight. Just us, the moon, and the stars." 

To the Void with the consequences, Waking thought fiercely. This was love, like sie had never felt before. Hir senses were overwhelmed with desire, and the scent of Turning's body mingled with the cool light air. Sie ran hir hand up Turning's thigh slowly and leaned over to lick hir neck. 

Turning let out a soft groan, fumbling with Waking's clothing. The loose leather vest and loincloth slid from hir body after a few moments and crumped into a heap in the moonlit grass. Waking was aroused, but not yet fully erect. Turning ran a hand down Waking's side gently. Sie murmured, "I always did like the color of your fur." 

"You did?" Waking whispered in surprise. Sie looked down at hir dull tan fur, wondering what Turning had seen in hir that sie had overlooked. 

"Such a calm, quiet shade of brown," Turning said, rubbing Waking's belly. "Like you." 

Waking pulled Turning's vest slowly off hir shoulders. "And I always liked yours. Passionate and vibrant, with a touch of darkness. Like you." 

"Do you fear to follow me where the darkness may lead?" Turning asked, running a hand up Waking's inner thigh. Hir touch brought a shiver to Waking's body, and sie felt hirself stiffen as hir erection grew. 

Waking tossed Turning's vest over hir shoulder by hir own clothing and moved to untie the loincloth as well. "I do not fear the darkness," Waking murmured. "But I will gladly walk beside you, not behind you." 

Turning's loincloth joined the other bits of clothing in the night grass. Sie was also growing erect. Waking felt a little nervous, as sie had never done this before. But it felt the right thing to do, and there was no way sie was turning back now. Sie wanted this like nothing sie had ever wanted before. 

"Are you afraid, Waking?" Turning asked, running a hand up Waking's cock. 

"No," Waking whispered, taking the other's dick in hir own hand. "I'm not afraid. I want this, Turning. I want you." 

Turning was becoming hard under hir touch. "I want this as well," Turning murmured. 

Waking rolled onto hir back and spread hir legs in invitation. Turning took hir balls in one hand and guided hir cock to the mouth of Waking's vagina. Waking took in a sharp breath as the slender cock slid up slowly inside hir. Turning grasped hir cock firmly in hir other hand, sending further waves of pleasure through Waking. 

"Oh, Turning," Waking moaned. Hir vagina cleched around Turning's cock, and sie grabbed hir buttocks, Turning's tail tickling hir wrist. 

Turning slowly began to move hir shaft in and out, stroking Waking's cock as sie did so. Waking trembled in pleassure. Heat flooded hir body, like waves of magma cascading within hir. As their motions quickened and they moaned aloud in the grass, Waking climaxed with a gasp, squirting white cum over Turning's belly. Turning wasn't far behind in orgasm hirself, shooting hir load deep within Waking's vagina. 

Waking lay in the grass panting as Turning withdraw from hir vagina. Sie touched the cum-soaked fur with a finger and said, "Better clean you up there." Sie leaned over and began to wash out Turning's fur with hir tongue, licking up the salty cum. 

Turning moaned softly, starting to go erect again. "You'd better be careful, or I'll have to be cleaning you up as well." 

Waking chuckled softly, and finished cleaning up the other's fur. Sie then lay back in the grass, looking up at the twinkling stars. The second moon was rising, the larger moon, though it was barely a silvery sliver at the moment. Sie muttered, "We should be getting back. They'll be wondering where we are and wanting to find some work for us to do..." 

"Is it really necessary?" Turning asked. "Let's stay a little longer. The moons are nice tonight." 

"What if someone finds us like this?" 

"Does it matter?" Turning said dismissively. "Let them think what they will." 

Waking just had to smile faintly at hir lover's carefree attitude. That was what annoyed hir most about hir, and what sie loved most about hir. "Alright," sie said, gazing up at the sky quietly. The stars turned onward in silence. 

* * *

Perhaps it was the way Waking and Turning looked at one another, or the way they touched when they thought no one was looking, but people seemed to know there was something going on between them. But as there was no confirmation, they could not do anything about it but spread vague rumors and keep an eye on the youngsters. 

And then Waking found hirself pregnant. With hir breasts and stomach growing, there was no way sie could hide it for long. 

"Oh, Turning, I don't know what to do." 

"We can leave," Turning said, turning to hir. "We can cross the mountains and go somewhere where nobody will care." 

"But the stories!" Waking protested. "You know what happens to people who leave their clan. You know what happens to people lost in the wilderness." 

"Shh, lover." Turning cupped hir hand in hir face. "We'll be fine. We know how to hunt and find food, don't we? The wilderness holds no fear for me." 

"You tread dangerous paths, Turning." 

"I do, my cousin, my lover," Turning whispered. "Will you tread them with me?" 

It was a fearful thought, to leave the clan and go out into the world alone. But Waking could not bear to think of life without Turning, and sie could not stay here lest they learn of hir illicit pregnancy. "I will, my friend, my lover. Whatever path you tread, I will walk beside you." 

Turning smiled, and turning into the forest, sie walked in silence. Waking turned away from the camp of the clan and walked along behind hir. Above the canopy of leaves, the two moons shone down, lining their path in silver and gold. And so alone they went, into the dark and desolate night of Fortalus. 

They travelled day and night for the first few days of their self-imposed exile. Turning proved hirself a good hunter as sie brought back rabbits for them to eat. They could not easily make a fire, so they ate their food raw, on the run. 

"Do you really think anyone will come after us, Turning?" 

"I don't know, lover. I don't see why they'd bother." 

"They don't like people leaving the clan," Waking pointed out. 

"What could they do to us, anyway?" Turning asked. "Make us go back? Kill us? They'd have exiled us sooner or later anyway if we had stayed. We just beat them to it." 

"I suppose," Waking admitted, running a hand across hir slightly swollen stomach. 

They skirted the territories of other clans, and avoided predators in the forest, Waking's belly growing larger as time wore on. Sie didn't dare ask how long it might be before it would be safe to reveal themselves. Before they were far enough away that nobody would care about a pair of stray Silent Panthers. 

Then, as they stumbled over one last ridge in the graying dawn, they beheld a sight the like of which they had never seen. Down in the valley below, Waking saw mountains of steel and glass, like a vast array of buildings, all square and neat. Hir eyes widened as sie took in the sight, wondering what it could be, what clan was powerful enough to construct such a thing. 

"What is it?" Waking breathed. 

"It is the future," Turning said, turning and climbing down into the valley. 

Waking followed after hir, trying to concentrate on avoiding falling, but hir eyes were constantly drawn to the sight of the metal buildings. They seemed so alien, and yet so familiar, like seeing a long-lost cousin for the first time. 

As they entered into the ways between the great buildings, they saw people there. The people were dressed in neat, clean clothing, and gave odd looks at the two of them, like two primitives wandered in out of the forest. Waking gazed around in wonderment at the shining buildings. 

Waking stepped up close to hir lover, and said, "There are so many people! And it's daytime. How many people will there be among these buildings at night?" 

A person was sweeping up a stone path with a stick with some bristles on the end. Sie turned to them and said, "Eh, kids, what're you doing out here at this hour, and in this clothes?" Waking had difficulty understanding hir through hir strong accent, but got the gist of what sie was saying. 

Turning turned to hir and said, "I'm sorry, we have just arrived and have not had a chance to acquire proper attire. Could you tell us where we are, perhaps?" 

"This is the City of Lions," said the sweeper, spitting. "Did you just crawl out of the middle of nowhere or something?" 

"Could you direct us to a sleeping building?" Turning asked. "And toward places to acquire new clothing, and do work?" 

"Eh, go check in at the admin building," sie grunted. "I got work to do here. Move along." 

It took them a while to find the place and make arrangements, but everything went through smoothly. Waking and Turning thus came to live in the City of Lions, in a small apartment, working at cooking and cleaning. The administrators had asked their callings and clan names, but had not questioned how they had arrived here or why they had left, which suited them fine. 

* * *

For many turns of the two moons, they lived and worked in the City of Lions, and their child was born there. At hir birth, they called the child Freeing, for the child had, in hir own way, freed them from the oppression of the clan and tribe. Or so Turning said. Waking was starting to have hir doubts as the wonder of the city wore off. 

Sie didn't want to stay there, in the oppressive glass and steel walls. If this was the future, sie wanted no part in it. But it wasn't really an option at this point, as they could hardly travel so well with a baby. So sie kept quiet about hir growing discontent, because Turning seemed happy, and seeing hir lover's happiness at least brought some joy to hir heart. 

"Waking, you don't seem to be happy here," Turning finally said. "What's wrong?" 

Sie sighed. "Oh, it just doesn't feel right, Turning. It's so harsh, and crude, and vulgar. Everything is cold and hard, and metal. Inorganic. Nothing feels _alive_ here." 

"If you aren't happy here, we can leave. Go elsewhere, make a new life there." 

Waking shook hir head. "I'll not deprive you of your happiness, lover. Besides, it wouldn't be easy travelling with a small baby." 

"No, no. I do like it here, but it isn't worth it at your expense. Is it really so bad?" Turning asked. 

"I think so," Waking murmured. "But I could never leave you." 

Turning touched hir face gently. "I'll not be happy here another day, knowing you can't stand it here, Waking." 

Waking gave a faint smile. "But where could we go? We can't go back to the Silent Panther camp." 

"We could take one of those air-cars to another city, perhaps," Turning suggested. 

"Would it really be any better?" Waking wondered. 

Turning gave a soft chuckle, swishing her black-tipped tail. "I don't see why not. We can go to a smaller city, somewhere far away." 

"Alright." Waking gathered up the baby, who was sleeping soundly for once. Turning collected their meager possessions, and they went off to the administration building to notify them of their departure. 

It took half the money they had saved to book passage on the next air-car leaving that day, and the only place they could get passage to was the City of Tigers, far to the west. The person at the ticket booth said that everyone wanted to go there to see the aliens or some such. Waking had heard of these aliens, through rumors and wild stories that claimed they were completely furless and had ten arms or some such. Sie didn't believe half of them anyway. 

So they waited around for a while and boarded the metallic air-car. It looked like nothing more than a box with wings. There was no elegance or grace to it, like anything else here. They'd barely seen fit to round the corners on the thing so that the wind would go around it more easily. But it would suffice, if it got them there without crashing or something. 

When they reached Tiger City, they quickly learned that the rumors about the aliens had not been exaggerated. Waking spotted one of them from a distance, looking much like a giant milky-colored bug. She prodded Turning, who hadn't noticed it yet, and sie stared off at the creature. 

"Let's go meet hir!" Turning said excitedly. 

Waking blinked, but sie followed hir lover off toward the platform where the alien was, carrying Freeing in hir arms. Up closer, sie could get a better look at the being. It had five pairs of arms -- or legs, sie wasn't entirely sure -- and each of them had a number of little tentacles on the end. Its skin was a milky white, or a dull light gray color, or perhaps a washed-out cream. It was twice as long as sie was tall, but the way it reared up its front portion so that it's forelegs could be used as arms, that part was barely as tall as hir. 

"Hi!" Turning called cheerfully, waving hir hands. 

The alien turned and looked at hir with startlingly human eyes. "Greetings, young fordent," it spoke in a precise, staccato voice. "Come closer." 

Waking noticed that there was an open area around the platform. Most people were giving the alien a wide berth, watching enrapt but keeping their distance as if it were going to eat them. Sie wasn't too sure about that hirself, but sie followed Turning up toward the platform, fervently hoping that it didn't eat babies or something. 

They talked for some time and Turning established a real rapport with the alien creature, who then invited them back to their ship to look around. Turning readily agreed without bothering to ask Waking first, but Waking didn't protest nonetheless. They weren't so bad, sie thought. At least they were being civil and talking in a much more polite manner than most of the city folk sie had met. 

The ship belonging to the decipedes, so they called themselves, was a much larger and sleeker package than the air-car they had flown there in. It was very ordered, yet at the same time it possessed a beauty and grace wholly alien to the cities of Fortalus. It wasn't, to be sure, the same beauty that the forest clans possessed, but it was a kind of beauty nonetheless. 

When Waking stepped onto the ship, the first thing sie immediately noticed was the gravity. It felt as though sie had suddenly become very pregnant again. The alien said, "I hope the gravity isn't too severe for your comfort. It is only thirty percent higher than the gravity on Fortalus." 

"It's fine," Turning said. "You built all this?" Sie stared around curiously at all the panels and slots. 

"Not me personally," the decipede said. "The engineers back on Decia Prime constructed this ship, and many other vessels like it. Would you like something to eat?" 

Waking's stomach rumbled at the mention of food. Turning said, "Oh, that would be nice. We haven't eaten since we got on the air-car from the City of Lions." 

"I will have the food dispenser produce something adequate to your dietary requirements," the alien told hir. It pressed some buttons on the panel with its tentacled hand, and two trays with hot, steamy meat appeared in the slot. "Will this be sufficient?" 

The alien showed them to a table and brought up a couple of low stools. Clearly they weren't suitable for decipede anatomy, but Waking supposed they could use the stools as small tables. Unless they had been built specifically for them. They were also kind enough to provide a sort of cradle for Freeing, which they sat on the table and Waking gratefully put the sleeping infant in. 

The food was a bit bland, but better than a lot of the meals sie'd had since leaving the Silent Panthers. The aliens invited them to stay aboard the ship for a while if they wanted, and Turning gladly agreed, mainly since they didn't have anywhere else to stay yet anyway, and sie wasn't about to complain about free food, even if it wasn't the best food in the galaxy. 

* * *

They stayed with the friendly decipedes for several days. It became apparent to Waking that their generosity wasn't entirely sheer benevolence, but that they wished to observe them. Sie figured it was sufficient as a form of work, and didn't complain, however. Sie was still a bit nervous about them, but reassured hirself that creatures that could produce food and water from thin air didn't need to eat the offspring of their guests. 

"How long did it take you to get here?" Turning asked one day. 

"The journey from the Decia system to Fortalus took three genechrons," their host, who they had learned was the ship's captain, explained. 

"Three what?" 

"Oh. A genechron is approximately equal to two hundred and forty days on Fortalus. Your year is equal to one genechron and six kilochrons." 

Turning blinked a few times and thought for a moment before saying, "So a kilochron would be equal to twenty-four Fortalan days?" 

"Exactly," the decipede captain said. "We can make the trip of thirty petameters much more easily now that we've developed ships that can travel at nine gigavels. That's five times the speed of light." 

"Wow," Turning said. They headed toward the airlock, Waking trailing along behind them. Freeing had been left in hir cradle in their quarters on the ship. 

"I must say, I am overall pleased with the reception we have received upon Fortalus," the alien commented. "The chromens were more enthusiastic, to be sure, but it's to be expected from artsy peacocks." 

"Chromens?" Turning said with a giggle. 

"Yes, you might meet some of them if you come back with us to Decia Prime. They're quite friendly, if a bit flighty at times." 

They came to the end of the corridor. Two guards had been played by the open airlock, just to make sure nobody got on board the ship and caused problems by touching things that they didn't know how to operate. There was a crowd outside, as usual, many of them looking up to see the aliens as they descended from the ship. 

Turning hopped out first, skipping down the ramp blissfully, the alien captain not far behind hir, and Waking behind the decipede. 

"Die alien monsters!" a voice from the crowd shouted. A loud crack split the morning air. Turning stumbled on the ramp. 

"Turning!" shriekd Waking, shoving the decipede aside and rushing to hir lover. The alien tumbled off the ramp as a second shot rang out in the air. 

Pain wrenched through hir abdomen. Waking fell to hir knees next to Turning's head. There was blood on hir chest, and hir eyes lay open still, innocence and passion and joy to be alive forever lost to them. Sie had never seen what was coming. 

"Oh, Turning, Turning," whispered Waking, ignoring hir own pain as sie cradled Turning's head in hir arms, tears streaming down hir face. The frantic roar of the crowd faded to a buzz as darkness took hir as well. 

* * *

Waking woke later, slowly blinking hir eyes open. Hir whole body felt numb, and hir eyes were blurry. "Where am I?" she slurred. 

"The medical bay on the decipede ship," said a familiar voice. Sie thought it was the captain. 

"Turning--" 

"I'm sorry. There was nothing we could do for hir," the voice said quietly. "Sie was shot in the heart. Sie died instantly. I'm sorry." 

"What happened?" sie choked out. 

"A fordent in the crowd shot at us with a hunting rifle. Sie's been taken into custody by the local authorities and will be charged with murder. Little doubt of conviction, everyone saw hir." 

Waking blinked slowly. "Why can't I see?" 

"The anesthetic we gave you hasn't completely worn off yet," sie explained. "We had to perform surgery and remove the bullet fragments from your abdomen." 

"Freeing," Waking whispered. "Please take care of Freeing. Take care of my daughter." 

"We'll make sure she's fed and changed until you recover," the captain said. "You may well have saved my life. I owe you that much." 

"Thank you," sie breathed, closing her eyes wearily. Sie couldn't accept that Turning was dead, but at least hir daughter would be taken care of. Sie could never go home again, but at least hir daughter would have some hope of a future. A look of peace crossed hir face as sie let hirself slip into darkness again. 

The medical monitors all slowly went flat. The captain looked to the doctor accusingly and said, "What happened? I though you said sie was probably going to make it?" 

"I don't know," muttered the doctor, looking over hir quickly and trying to resuscitate hir. "I'm hardly that experienced in working on fordent anatomy. Maybe the damage was too extensive. Maybe I gave hir too much anesthetic for hir body weight. Maybe sie just didn't want to live. Cortical stimulator." 

The nurse handed hir the requested instrucment, and sie tried in vain to revive the young fordent. After several tries with no effect, sie sighed and put it away. The captain said, "It's alright. You've done what you could. We'll have to take hir infant daughter with us when we leave, I suppose." 

"They don't have any next of kin in town?" 

The captain shook hir head. "They were from out of town. Said they were from the City of Lions, but I checked there and they had no relatives there either." 

"I'll program a baby formula suitable for fordents," the doctor said. 

"Thank you," the captain said. "I always wanted to be a parent, but I never expected it would be like this. It's a pity. Turning would have liked Decia Prime. They were bold, fearless people. It wasn't even them the killer wanted. It was me. Why did these youngsters have to die so sensibly?" 

"Sometimes you have to wonder if this is really part of the pattern, or a flaw brought on by imperfection," the doctor commented. 

"I hope they're together, wherever they are," the captain murmured, and turning away, sie left the room.


End file.
